Sunday, July 5, 2009

Cleome - Third Time's the Charm

After my first two efforts to have Cleome in my landscape ended in failure, I swore I would not give this plant another chance. But, Miriam Park Gruwell convinced me otherwise, so here we are again - and so far, so good! Seed pods are already forming and I am going to collect the seeds for next year. If that works, Cleome may become a permanent feature in my garden. Who knew? I may have to amend my habit of giving a plant two chances in my garden, but not a third.

Cleome, also called Spider Flower, attracts hummingbirds and is a tough plant that, I have been told, tolerates hot, dry weather (but I am suspicious that it was the drought of 2007 and 2008 that led to the failures I experienced) - of which we have had plenty since early June. This year, outdoor watering restrictions have been relaxed, and that, perhaps, has done the trick for the Cleome in my garden!

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About Me

A love of reading and a terrific high school teacher made me a writer, a book (Georgia Gardener's Guide, by Erica Glasener and Walter Reeves) made me a gardener, and a casual lunch with my friend Pat Bowen is the reason why I became a Certified Georgia Master Gardener. Since 2005, I have written monthly gardening columns for the Barrow-Jackson Journal, the Georgia Asian Times and The Nooze. I also write for a number of e-zines and for private clients - anything from LinkedIn profiles to web content to case studies, personal bios, corporate profiles, tag lines and more. A niche specialty is working with international scientists whose articles require the scrutiny of an extra set of eyes before they are published in professional journals.
My company, The Oliver/Sorano Group, Inc., handles marketing and PR projects for a variety of clients, and provides a home to Atlanta Women in Business.